Well, Finals week went by. I got about three collective hours of sleep, probably came close to failing biology, ‘cause ya know, I missed the final exam entirely, but at that point I really didn’t care. And, thankfully, I had absolutely no interaction with my three favoritest professors to walk this earth. That may or may not have been intentional.

Unfortunately, the ending of Finals week meant saying goodbye to Sarah and Jordan for an entire month just like the last three years. I just hoped I’d be able to last that long. Tears pricked my eyes as the taillights of Sarah’s and then Jordan’s car faded into the distance. I’d be leaving soon myself, but my parents couldn’t pick me up until the weekend. I couldn’t wait. I’d never needed more of a break from school. I gave a shake of my head as my throat tightened with emotion. This lack of sleep thing wasn’t helping the situation either. I waved through watery eyes until I couldn’t see them anymore. A habit I’d picked up over the years.

With a shaky inhale of finality, I turned, hunched my shoulders against the sharp wind and began my walk across campus. I would’ve said goodbye at their apartment, but they were both leaving straight after their last final. If I could have, I would’ve lived with them, but as situation would have it, it didn’t work out. Their parents were a bit picky on apartment quality and I couldn’t even afford to pay a third of the monthly rent at any of the places. That left me with limited options. I was going to room with this other group of track buddies but I’d been so swamped with school work last spring I’d never gotten back to them. And then it was the end of the semester and I still didn’t have a place to live for the next semester. Sarah and Jordan of course offered to let me live with them anyway. Screw the money, as Jordan put it, but I couldn’t do that to them. As much as I wanted to graduate from causing mayhem as roommates to causing mayhem as housemates in an apartment, I settled with the fact that I’d just find somewhere else and crash their place whenever the whims hit me. So I set out on the fast track to low income housing and shady landlords and by some miracle found an ad for someone *cough cough, Kyle* from my own college looking for a decent housemate for a way cheap apartment and I signed right up. Got accepted. And here we are half a year later.

I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets as a shiver trailed up my neck. Snowflakes began to drift through the air, lauding the arrival of the massive snowstorm set to arrive right on schedule. My mood started to bubble up like a cup of comforting hot chocolate.

The first real snowstorm of the season. Not even the departure of my friends could dampen my excitement. The forecasts were talking maybe even as much as three feet of accumulation.

Finally, a proper winter was on our hands, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. With a new spring in my step, I was vibrating with delight. At least I hoped it was more delight and less exhaustion, but I had to be realistic here. Friends or no friends, I was going to enjoy the first big snow of the season!

I did feel a bit better now about my whole situation with the Red Pathways. I’d told Sarah and Jordan some of what had been going on. Not all of it obviously, but enough so that they knew I wasn’t going to fail my classes and I’d have a lot of my time next semester dedicated to an extra credit project to make up for it.

For realsies though, I needed to snag my bike and get home. I was in dire need of a nap. As much as I was thrilled for this snowstorm, it was fully capable of ruining my ride back. Plus, I still had some packing to finish up.

And thus my journey across campus to acquire my noble steed of a bike began. But while walking across the Common, my gaze was drawn to the milky sky, mind wandering. What a wonderful time of year this was. The peacefulness of it all could overwhelm one’s heart in a hurry. Don’t believe me? Go and lay in a snow pile for a good ten minutes, you’ll understand soon enough. I raised a hand to catch the falling flakes, smiling softly as they quickly melted in my palm. Such powerful little things, blown about by chance for miles through the air before settling to the ground where it waits to be surrounded by its brethren. Just to get in the way of some person’s plans by blocking a driveway or road, forcing people to slow down, making them realize how quiet the world can be if we put things on pause and listened.

The cars in the parking lot across the way were turning into vague shadowy lumps as the snow thickened the air. I closed my eyes, took a deep, cleansing breath all the way to the bottom of my lungs, and smiled. For a moment, I was happy and at peace.

Then a heavy hand plopped itself onto my shoulder and ruined everything.

“Hello, Ms. Reyes. Mind if I join you on your stroll?” It was Professor Edgerton.

I froze, breath leaving me all at once. It took a few moments too long, but after recovering from the shock, I attempted to shrug her hand off my shoulder. The action came with a wince of pain on my end. That sucker was stuck tighter than a cocklebur on a dog’s butt in high summer.

“Ah, ah.” She stepped beside me and waggled a thick finger, her other hand still clamped on my shoulder. “I have been looking for you and am not letting you go now that I have found you.”

A different kind of shiver went up my spine. Crud.

“Fine,” I growled. “What is it? I’d like to get home before it really starts to snow. So spill it.” None of the Red Pathways deserved to disrupt my happy time. Her grip tightened, and I hissed from the pain, already feeling a bruise begin to form under my collarbone.

“I would learn to dull that tongue of yours if you want to keep it,” she murmured.

I turned my head away to gaze at the flake-dusted sidewalk. Soon I’d be hundreds of miles away from here, pointedly ignoring these guys and feasting on Christmas cookies. “What do you want?”

She finally pried her fingers out of my skin. That was going to leave a mark. “Better. Now, as I stated before, walk with me.”

So, on we walked down the sidewalk as she got to the reason she was here. “Your training will begin Monday.” She looked over at me as confusion curled through my mind. “There is much to be done, we must be prepared.” She pulled a manila envelope from her coat. “This packet contains the time and location of each session. They will provide you with the skills necessary to fulfill your agreement with us. Read it. Then burn it. You will be informed if any of the information changes.”

She handed me the packet. I took it as if on auto-pilot. I wasn’t quite following all of this. The packet was thick. How was I supposed to memorize this much information and, was that a book? My fingers pressed around the edges. Yup. It sure was. Great.

“We will see you then,” she stated flatly, moving briskly away from me as she was done with the conversation.

I looked up from where my eyes had been trained on the snow-covered pavement. “Wait,” I jogged half a step to catch up to her, “what are you saying?”

Edgerton stop and turned sharply, body tense. “Oh come now. Those instructions were hardly confusing. My two-year-old niece could parse that out in half a second.”

I faltered, still confused. “No. No, it’s… I start training on Monday?” I questioned. “I’m leaving to go home this weekend. Ya know, with Christmas break and all my parents are coming to pick me up. I thought we’d wait till after Christmas to start—”

She stepped into my space then. Dark eyes burning. “You signed a contract which states that you will undergo the appropriate training to successfully fulfill this assignment. We don’t need some half-wit traipsing through the city just waiting to get caught. Therefore, there is training to undergo.”

“Yeah, but, I’m leaving town. I can’t just—”

Her hand whipped out to grasp my wrist, pain sparked from her tight grip. I pulled away, but she didn’t move an inch.

“Hey, that hurts,” I said sharply. “I get that you guys like to bully people with violence, but I just want some answers.”

I hissed when the searing pain increased.

Edgerton leaned closer. I squeezed my eyes shut. “We never said you could leave. We never said this would be painless. We never said we would tell you a thing. You will be at the appointed location at the appointed time on Monday. Do I make myself clear?”

My heart hammered through my chest, my mind still struggling like the little engine that couldn’t.

“Have a Merry Christmas!” We both flinched at the sudden chipper voice disrupting our battle of wills.

Edgerton’s hand slipped from my wrist, pain throbbing anew with the sudden lack of pressure. I half hid myself behind Edgerton’s tall form as I attempted to school my face away from tears of pain.

“Ah, Professor Sundberg,” she said pleasantly, a small corner of her lips raised in a polite smile. “Thank you for the holiday wishes.”

“Oh not at all. I couldn’t help myself.” He answered, preoccupied with wiping snowflakes from his brown tweed jacket and tight dark curls. “We must be some of the last people left on campus, this place sure emptied fast.” I couldn’t help a smirk. It seemed even stone-cold Edgerton could be a victim of Sundberg’s good cheer. Sundberg always was a light in the darkness. He was my favorite professor, upbeat and encouraging, yet passionate and firm on doing things right. Kinda the opposite of me right now.

“Yes, that seems to be true,” Edgerton begrudgingly agreed.

“Who’s there with you?” He asked, peering around her shoulder. She was at least half a foot taller than him, though they shared the same dark complexion.

I hurriedly wiped my face in case a few tears had escaped and quickly slapped on an easy grin, one he was familiar with. I wasn’t gonna give one of my favorite people even a hint at what this interaction truly was about.

“Hey Sundberg,” I greeted with a wave.

“Oh, Sawyer. Wonderful to see you. Are you heading for home soon?”

“I—” I started, but then paused. A jolt of realization shot through me at the reality I was now in, because no, no I wasn’t. Not anymore. “I’m actually stayin’ in town for the holidays.” I admitted, twisting the envelope in my hands.

“Really? I thought you said you were heading home when we met to talk about your thesis project yesterday?” Not only was he one of my history professors in my chosen major, he was also my advisor for my thesis paper, a twenty plus page, well-sourced, well-written paper that used to be the main deciding factor of receiving my diploma. Now I had two of those. One was a bit more life-threatening.

“Yeah, well, plans changed.” I paused, straining the think of an explanation. “My… aunt actually lives in town and my parents gave my room to a friend of theirs whose between jobs so I thought I’d pick a place with an actual bed.” I finished with a sheepish laugh.

“Oh,” he said with a chuckle, “I would’ve done the same.”

Silence settled between us, the lamps lining the walkway beginning to wink on in the impending nightfall.

“Well, I best be going. My girls are waiting for me. Merry Christmas, again, both of you.” He said sincerely, giving me one of his mischievous winks. I watched him go as he continued his way to the parking lot.

“You and Professor Sundberg are close, yes?” My focus jerked to Edgerton. I glared, refusing to answer. What was it to her anyway.

She shrugged at my silence. “I expect to see you on Monday. Remember what is at stake for you should you choose to refuse or back out of our agreement.”

I held her gaze for a moment. Very much wanting to just say no. See what might happen, but then my wrist gave me a sharp reminder and I said, “Yes, ma’am.”

She smirked as if knowing the power she held over me. With a last pat to my bruised shoulder, she strode away, calling back as she went, “Do not try anything stupid. We are more observant than you will ever know. Until Monday, Ms. Reyes. Enjoy the weekend.”

And she was gone, the growing darkness swallowing her towering form without a whisper.

I released the breath I’d been holding and gently cradled my wrist as I tentatively wiggled the fingers. I hated the situation I was in. It was ridiculous and frustrating and terrifying and exhilarating. But like Edgerton said, there was no way I could back out now. I’d just have to buck up and do it. And tell my family I wasn’t gonna be home for Christmas. Somehow.

The snow and wind started to thicken. Time for what I still hoped to be a relaxing bike ride back.

Screw Edgerton. Heck, screw all of ‘em. This was my life. Finals were finally over. I had one semester of school left, and a whole weekend of catching up on sleep to do. No way was I going to waste it worrying about some stupid extra credit assignment.